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Pain Cordon de Bourgogne

I love this bread! I discovered it recently on a Facebook “bread of the month” page. It looks beautiful and the taste is wonderful.

I used milk kefir whey rather than buttermilk, either will have the same effect on the dough and give a nice tang to the flavor.

I do not own all kinds of fancy bread making tools, so don’t let this recipe intimidate you either! Rather than an expensive banneton, I used a round edged loaf pan. Any untreated basket would also work, just clean it well, line with flour saturated linen. (Don’t wash the linen between uses unless necessary.) If you have none of these things, use a bowl.

I don’t have a baking stone either and probably won’t bother buying one. They are meant to help retain and raise temperature slightly, which just don’t seem worth it price to me for a home baker. I place a plain old flat baking sheet in the oven instead.

And there are not too many home bakers who own a peel! (I had to look it up! It’s basically a flat wooden “shovel” like you might see used for pizza. I used parchment paper for mine, seems to have worked.:)

This recipe was originally all in grams and should be weighed each time, but for convenience sake, I measured everything and have it written both ways here. Bear in mind your results may vary using the measurements since your starter and flours may weigh out differently!

I’d love to hear how this loaf works for you!

Ingredients

To Make The Flour Mix:

300 grams (2 1/8 cups) bread flour

125 grams (7/8 cup) sifted whole wheat flour

75 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tbsps) rye flour

To Make The Poolish:

150 grams (1/2 cup) active wheat starter (100% hydration)

100 grams (3/4 cup) flour mix

90 grams 1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) lukewarm water

20 grams (3 tbsp) buttermilk or milk kefir whey

4 grams fresh yeast or 1.5 grams dry active yeast (optional)

To Make The Dough:

All of the Poolish

400 grams (all that remains) flour mix

40 grams (6 tbsps) buttermilk

170 grams (3/4 cup) water

12.8 grams (1 tbsp) salt

Method

Step 1

Make the "Flour Mix". Sift them all together.

Step 2

Make The Poolish:
Dissolve the fresh yeast (if using) in lukewarm water and allow to rest 15 minutes.

Step 3

Stir sourdough starter, (yeasted) water, and buttermilk or whey together until frothy.

Step 4

Mix in flour.

Step 5

For yeasted bread, cover and let rest 1.5 hours. Dough will be at least doubled. For sourdough, cover and let double. Poolish can be left to double in fridge for 8 + hours (I left mine in fridge 16 hours before starting next step.)

Step 6

To Make the Dough:
Stir remaining water and buttermilk or whey through the poolish.

Step 7

Mix flour in to make a rough dough. Cover and autolyse 30 minutes. (Autolyse is a fancy word for letting it do its thing while you take a little break!)

Step 8

Add salt by kneading through the dough. Cover and let rest 15 minutes.

Step 9

Step 10

Preheat oven (and baking stone if using one) to 465 F.

Step 11

Flour a proofing basket with rye flour.

Step 12

Weigh out 75 grams of the dough. Divide into 2 equal portions and roll between hands to create 2 "logs" long enough to lay across proofing basket. Flour lightly. Twist the 2 strands together and lay across length of basket leaving ends over basket edges.

Step 13

Flatten remaining dough and shape into a batard. Place the "pretty" side down in basket over cord. Cover and let rest until doubled in bulk. (1.5+ hours for yeast bread, 3+ hours for sourdough).

Step 14

When dough is poked with finger, it should return slowly when it's fully proofed.

Step 15

Transfer dough to a peel or parchment paper (I used parchment). Spray hot water on oven walls (avoiding the light bulb and elements!) to create steam.

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DISCLAIMER

Everything on this site is compiled from my research and experience. Do not substitute my judgement for your own.
With any new (to you) food or product, use your own judgement, listen to your body, and check with a doctor if necessary.